Here is the latest Chapter. The previous disclaimer applies here.
Chapter 2: Proposed Alliance
Prince Vegeta stifled a yawn as he listened to the adults bicker about what they had been quarreling about for the past year or more: Freeza. Last year the argument was if they should enter a non-aggression pact and if they should contract to do business with the Cold Empire. This year it was if they should form an alliance. One thing was for certain; he was tired of listening to arguments about Freeza. The counsel argued about Freeza, his parents argued about Freeza and even the peasants argued about Freeza.
"Your Majesty" Hakka, the Minister of War, implored, "I beg you to consider this alliance."
"Yes Your Majesty" Kabu said stressfully. "As your Minister of Finance I believe it is a good idea. It will pour a lot more gold into Vegetasei's economy."
"I have already made a non-aggression pact with Lord Freeza and agreed to have some of our army do purging jobs for him so I do not see the necessity of an alliance" the King asserted.
"I agree with you My Lord" Lady Endou, the Minister of Trade, said supportively. "An alliance with Freeza would almost certainly destroy our trade relations and other pacts. I am certain our technological and scientific agreements would suffer the most. Those races entered treaties with us on the understanding that we would agree to protect them and not overthrow them for the use of their resources."
"Yes" old Nonniku the Advisor supported. "If our history teaches us anything it is that we cannot survive in the universe by having no peaceful relations with any of the other races regardless of how inferior they are to us."
"However" Kyuuri Commander and Chief of the Saiyjin Army "an alliance with the Cold Empire would make all other alliances inconsequential. They have an agreement with the Machine Planet Guild. Through them we would receive only the best and most advanced technology. Lord Freeza employs the best and brightest scientists and would share all of their knowledge with us gladly. We would be allied with the greatest power in the universe. They are as feared as the saiyajin are and they are led by a warrior and not bureaucrats therefore they would deserve the honor of our alliance more than the weak worlds we now hold under our influence."
"How can we put that much trust in Lord Freeza's hands?" questioned Hakusai the hitherto silent representative of the Eastern and Northern Provinces.
"I agree," said Tororo the representative of the Western and Southern Provinces. "Our soldiers stationed on our allied worlds have been told many stories of Freeza's treachery. I fear he cannot be trusted."
"How can you listen to the fears of those inferior weaklings?" Kyuuri asked in disgust "They only fear Freeza because they cower in fear from a power greater than theirs we, on the other hand, are just as strong as Freeza so we need have no fear."
The old advisor had been scanning the attendants for their various reactions and at last came to the Prince who was quite obviously drifting away. He had never known a royal child to rebel and dislike administrative procedures as the young Prince. However, he knew much of it was due to the fact that he was an extremely bright child and became bored easily when things did not engage his mind and therefore sought to involve him in the proceedings. "Prince Vegeta" Nonniku stated waking the boy from his daydream "what is your feeling about the matter, or have you been listening?"
All eyes turned to the prince. Of course they knew this was just the advisor's way testing him and getting him involved in the discussion because he had often done so before. No one really expected to follow the child's advice because it was just a learning tool for the King in training, however they also knew that the prince was not your average child. Often times the boy had said things that did indeed have weight so naturally they were curious if this would be one of those times.
"Of course I am listening baka," Prince Vegeta snapped sitting up straight in his chair. "I think…" he began hesitantly trying to decide what he should say. "I think that the Saiyajin Empire is strong and whatever decision is made it will survive but Freeza is even stronger. If we do enter an alliance we shouldn't give him too much power." The prince shifted nervously in the silence that followed until it gave way to nods and murmurs of approval for the various attendees.
The King frowned at his son. What the boy had said was a perfect compromised between both his views and those of his mate. He had no idea his son had been listening that intently to their arguments. He also knew that what the boy had said made sense. He felt extremely proud of his son in moments like this when he impressed all those around him yet he also felt a slight discomfort for being shown up by a child. He also suspected an outside influence had played a role in his son's thinking and this disturbed him.
"That is precisely what I mean," Lady Endou said giving the prince a smile of respect. "If we put all our other alliances in danger of collapse by this one we are handing the changelings every last vestige of our economy. That is far too much power that they could wield against us. Eventually we would no longer be our own masters."
"Can I then suggest just a military alliance?" Hakka stated. "Each others armed forces would be at the disposal of both Empires."
"But these peoples entered our sphere of power out of fear of Freeza" said the minister of trade "they are threatening to pull out entirely if we ally ourselves with them. They feel it is a violation of our agreements with them."
"That is enough," said the King. "Lady do you think if we could guaranty to those peoples that Freeza would never come up against them and they would remain solely under our jurisdiction that they would agree to support us?"
"It is possible but I cannot say" Endou answered.
"Then go and find out from them and report back to me," the King ordered. "That is all for today. You are all dismissed except for the prince."
Vegeta cringed at his father's statement. He had hoped that what he had said wouldn't get him into trouble but it evidently had. True he was more powerful than his father but Vegeta still held the King in the utmost respect and he disliked displeasing him. He was honor bound to give deference to him as both his father and King but it was more than that which motivated him. One could even say he was very fond of his father but of course he would never allow himself to own up to that fact as no self-respecting saiyajin would. Hiding his discomfort he met his father's appraising stare without wavering.
"Your suggestion of a compromise was very astute Vegeta," the King told his son.
"Thank you Father" the Prince said almost meekly.
"How long have you thought this way?" the King questioned.
"I'm not sure," Vegeta said "but for a while."
"Did you come to this conclusion yourself?" the King asked.
"Yes" he answered.
"How?" he asked.
"By listening to you, mother and…" he cut himself off realizing what he had almost said.
"And who Vegeta?" Vegeta's father asked lifting one eyebrow at the boy.
"Nira, father" said hanging his head.
"I knew that this had to be some of her doing," snarled the King. "She has been intimating compromise to both the Queen and now she is exerting influence over my own son! Damn it Vegeta do you not have any of your own thoughts? How do you expect to be King if you allow a half-breed female slave to advise you?" he said.
"It is how I feel," Vegeta declared crossing his arms over his chest. "Nira doesn't tell me what to do. Only you, mother, the advisor and Nappa do that but none of what you say makes sense."
"I could beat within an inch of your life for your lack of respect!" the King shouted standing up and banging his fists onto the table.
A knock came at the door.
"WHO DARES TO DISTRUBE ME WHEN I AM IN A PRIVATE MEETING?" the King bellowed at the door.
"Only I my Lord" came the reply of the Queen through the door.
Vegeta brightened slightly because when his mother intervened his discipline was never as severe if it only included his father.
"KUSO WOMAN!" he bellowed. "This is NONE of YOUR affair! Leave AT ONCE!"
"All things concerning my son are of my affair My Lord" she replied. "Now do I have to break in the door or will you let me in?"
Vegeta smiled as he watched his father's face twist with annoyance but a softer kind than his usual disdainful kind. This kind of annoyance the King only reserved for his mate and son.
"Very well" the King grumbled opening the door allowing Naoko entrance into the room. "Now what in the hell do you want?" the King asked slamming the door closed.
"I wished to congratulate my son for his shining performance in the Counsel Session and for getting his father to see a small fraction of reason" Naoko replied smiling proudly at the prince. The King 'humphed' at her statement and she turned her attention to him. "My Lord I don't understand why you are so angry with him if you took up his advice."
"I am angry because the little half-breed wench is taking it upon herself to advise the royal family. First you and now Vegeta. Sometimes I wonder if she has schemes to take over the throne herself," the King snapped.
Young Vegeta relaxed and sat back knowing he would soon be forgotten in the flurry of words that was sure to come.
"You could find no evidence that she was a half-breed, remember My Lord?" Naoko asked him.
"That is only because anyone who knew about her is dead which I find almost too convenient," the King said defensively. "How else do you explain her eyes woman? No other saiyajin of Vegetasei has violet eyes."
"The only thing I know is that she has been nothing but a good an faithful servant these past 5 years" Naoko stated "during which she has never given us any reason to doubt her. Your irrational hatred of aliens is just blinding you."
"I am NOT irrational!" the King stated furiously.
"Anyone who could see the way you are carrying on right now would take issue with that" Naoko said slyly.
The King sputtered at the truth of her remark and Vegeta couldn't help but snicker at the comical look on his father's face. The King glared at his son who immediately composed himself.
"My Lord" Naoko stated "Is there not a meeting you are late for?"
King Vegeta looked at the chronometer in the room and snorted disdainfully. "This is not over" the King stated "We will have a discussion about both of your lack of respect later." With that he stormed from the room with his cape fluttering behind.
Naoko smiled at her son knowing full well how empty the King's threat was. "Come my prince," she said to him "I'm sure that there are other things that you would rather be doing. Perhaps we can find someone foolish enough to spar with you."
Vegeta jumped down off of the chair excited at the prospect of actually doing something instead of just talking or listening. However, though he loved to fight, he couldn't shake his father's words and the words of the others.
"Mother" he asked pausing in front of her. "Do you think it's wrong to listen to Nira?"
Naoko sighed and looked down at her son. "You do well to listen to all points of view before making any decision. As for Nira herself I think she can be trusted." She saw the look on her son's face become slightly sad with her uncertainty. "Do not worry little one," she told him soothingly wrapping the tip of her tail around his "I'm certain she would do nothing to ever hurt you. Keep on as you have and do not let my fears or your father's fears become your own. You are far too young to be so serious."
Vegeta looked up at the Queen's beautiful face as she smiled with pleasure down at him. He wrapped his own tail around hers and gave her a timid smile knowing that he shouldn't indulge in such small displays of affection but somehow his mother seemed to make it seem right.
"Come and let us enjoy the rest of the afternoon" she said to the boy and led him from the room.
As the door closed behind them and the room was empty Ice at last stirred. She dropped her camouflage with a heavy heart. Her assignment was becoming more and more difficult as of late and not because of her performance. No things were working out perfectly. Those bribed were driving the King and now even the Queen toward forming at least some kind of alliance. Once the Cold Empire had its foot in the door then it would be a simple matter to gradually take over the rule of this world. She had done it several times before and she knew that she would succeed again but for the first time this thought disturbed her.
Ice sighed. She couldn't help but grow attached to the royal family. For five years day in and day out she had been observing them, living with them and had grown fond of each of them. Her assignments had always been quick before never lasting long enough for her to grow to care for anyone. However, this time she did care and she had particular affection for the young prince who she had watched grow from an infant into a proud and beautiful child. He was terribly spoiled and ill tempered but he had a true depth of understanding and feeling uncommon for his people who rejected such things for the supposed greater virtue of physical strength.
Her deception weighed heavy on her conscious especially now that she had even greater cause to worry for Prince Vegeta. His little defiant performance at his Warrior's Appointment Ceremony had caught the interest of Lord Freeza and since that day, one month ago, she was asked to report almost every detail of his day-to-day activities. Freeza often took interest in spirited and beautiful people taking perverse pleasure in skillfully breaking them and bending them to his will. She knew this from experience and did not wish the child to become a victim of her Lord's sadistic fetish and yet she was afraid to defy him. Besides if she did she would be rejecting everything that she was raised to be. She was a spy, an assassin and lived in shadows becoming whatever was necessary to destroy her enemies. The tsirjin females had always been used as such and always would be due to their unique abilities.
"I am sorry" she thought solemnly gazing at her reflection in the glass perusing her features that almost no one ever saw "but I must do my duty. Its what I was born to and its what I am." With that she faded into the shadows once more to do the bidding of her lord and master.
Hmm! This is kind of cool. I'm actually writing my own spy/political intrigue story. I've never tried anything like this so I hope I'm doing okay so far.
Next time…
The plot thickens. An alliance is created but at what cost? Vegeta meets someone that teaches him a very useful technique in…
Chapter 3: The Seeds of Discord